Tinto Brass, director of «Caligula» and one of the most famous erotic films, has died

Brass was born on March 26, 1933, in Milan, received a law degree, worked at the French Cinémathèque in Paris, and was an assistant to Roberto Rossellini.

He shot his first films in an avant-garde and experimental style. His debut film, “Who Works Is Lost”, was released in 1963.

Later, Brass became one of the most famous directors of erotic cinema. Among his best-known works are “Caligula”, “Salon Kitty”, “Miranda”, “Paprika”, “The Key” (1983), “Love and Passion” (1987), and “The Naughty Girl”.

Brass himself later did not acknowledge “Caligula” as his work after a conflict with producer, Penthouse magazine publisher Bob Guccione. Guccione removed the director from the editing process and added separately shot pornographic scenes to the film.

The dispute over “Caligula” continued for decades. In 2023, a new version of the film, assembled from previously unused material, was shown at the Cannes Film Festival, and Brass opposed its release.

In September 2026, the Venice Film Festival dedicated a special screening of the restored 1967 film “The Heart in the Throat” to him and presented him with the Pietro Bianchi Award, which is given by Italian film journalists. Brass himself did not attend the ceremony for health reasons; his wife received the award. Festival director Alberto Barbera noted that the reputation of the erotic film auteur had overshadowed his role as an experimenter and innovator.

Sources

• Material: theins.ru